Spirit Never Free
by Serena Kenobi
Summary: Jake, having lost his brother, joins the Pandora team and is ordered by Quaritch to complete a potentially deadly mission: infiltrate the Na'vi, gain their trust, and kidnap their warrior princess for leverage. Sounds easy enough. AU.
1. Genesis

_**Spirit Never Free  
**_

By** Serena**

**Summary: _AU. Jake, having lost his brother, joins the Pandora team and is ordered by Quaritch to complete a potentially deadly mission: infiltrate the Na'vi, gain their trust, and kidnap their warrior princess for leverage. Sounds easy enough._  
**

**A/N:**_ OK, __as I'm almost done with my major Star Trek fic, I decided to start a full-length Avatar fic. But it's going to be AU, so if you don't care for AUs, then this is not the fic for you. _

_Basically, many parts of this story are the same as the movie - Jake is still a spy ordered by Quaritch to infiltrate the Na'vi. However, Jake's mission turns out to be much more menacing than in the movie, and Norm Spellman plays a larger, more centralized role as well._

_Also, I'd like to give a HUGE thank you and hug to my wonderful beta **Mira-Jade! **Mira, you rock, girl! :)_

**Disc: **_If I owned Avatar, I'd be watching it now._

* * *

Former marine corporal Jake Sully had never seen anything like the moon of Pandora in his all of his twenty-nine years. Growing up in a pretty bad section of Dallas, Texas, he'd only seen flat, dry land and ruined, decrepit, graffiti-streaked buildings. His parents had done the best they could - his dad was a construction worker, and his mom worked in the local diner. Jake had some good memories of his younger life with his parents and his twin brother Tommy.

He and Tommy, although twins, couldn't have been more different. Tommy was quieter, definitely more studious. He loved animals and plants and wanted to see how everything worked, then would take something apart and put it back together. He won his first science award when he was twelve, then became a sciences major in college with a full scholarship. Their parents had been so proud of him. Tom always got the good grades, always did everything right.

Jake, on the other hand, didn't get such good grades. He got into a lot of fights growing up, and when he was nineteen, after one year of community college, joined the army. He'd strongly disliked school, and his bad grades showed that, but he was a wrestling champion in high school. When he joined the army, he quickly rose in ranks because of his reckless, yet admirable bravery. He was headstrong, unafraid, and strong. He threw himself into a battle without reserve, which quickly earned him the high respect of his commanding officers and fellow soldiers.

He became a marine for the hardship, told himself that he could pass any test a man could pass. The only thing he ever wanted was something worth fighting for. And in four wars and countless battles, he still hadn't found that yet. He always felt like there was something more. Something other than this world that had so much death and destruction.

Despite their differences, Jake and Tom had always been close. They were twins, after all. Jake didn't mind that his parents were so proud of Tom for his achievements. He didn't mind that Tom was the favorite. His parents were proud that he'd become a marine, even if the pay wasn't so great. Jake loved what he did, and he was happy for his brother.

He was twenty-one, his parents both died in a tragic car accident. A tractor trailer, driven by an asleep-at-the-wheel driver, collided with the Sully's car on the highway and killed them both instantly. The twins were devastated, but dealt with the pain in different ways. Tom all but locked himself away in his lab. Jake hardly saw him, only heard from him from time to time. Jake, on the other hand, pushed himself to the limit. He fought like he'd never fought before. He earned two purple hearts and the rank of corporal in a matter of months.

But it was his fervor for battle that ended his career on the ground. Several of his men had gotten ambushed behind an old building. He'd rushed in to save them and held off the enemy as they retreated. But he never saw the sniper. As he turned to follow his men, he was shot directly in the back. He didn't remember much after that. The next thing he knew, he was in the hospital with Tom at his side.

He remembered when Tom had told him the news. For days after, he felt nothing.

A few months after he was back home - if he could call a run-down apartment home - Tom contacted him to say that he would be going off-planet on an important scientific assignment that he'd been training for for a couple of years now. Had to do with some aliens on a moon called Pandora. Jake had heard of the distant Pandora but hadn't even thought about it. They'd found aliens, other life - so what? It wouldn't impact him.

Then, five months later, Tom was shot by a robber. He died within the next day.

Jake was hardly given two weeks to grieve before two men came, asking for him. They talked about a fresh start on Pandora, how Jake could save countless lives if he took his brother's place.

Jake didn't even think about it. Within an hour, he was packed and ready to go.

After all, he had nothing left to lose.

* * *

Pandora was nice. Except for the compound, which was surrounded by dirt hills and construction equipment, the planet - well, moon - was covered in lush, tropical vegetation. The trees were stories taller than the tallest earth trees. Actually, everything was bigger than on earth. Jake liked it and was interested to see more. But the thing that interested him most was his brother's work.

Avatar program. That was what Tom had been talking about before he was killed. Jake had read up on the Avatar program and couldn't wait to start. The idea that his consciousness could be transferred into another body - a _perfectly functional, walking _body - was absolutely mind-boggling.

He rolled into the main building, ignoring the displeased and condescending glances of the other men, and entered the briefing hall. The rest of the new recruits were already there, and the commanding officer was talking.

"You are on Pandora. Ladies and gentlemen, respect that fact. Every second of every day. If there is a hell, you might want to go there for some R&R. Everything that crawls, flies, and squats in the mud wants to kill you and eat your eyes out," Colonel Miles Quaritch declared solemnly, sharply eying the room's occupants.

Jake got the impression that he was a bit over-dramatic, but of course, he didn't say anything.

"We have an indigenous population of humanoids called the Na'vi," Quaritch continued. "They're fond of arrows equipped with a neurotoxin that will stop your heart in a minute. Their bones are enforced with naturally occurring carbon fibers. They are very hard to kill."

Jake watched him, mostly unimpressed. How bad could it be out there? What he'd faced and seen was worse than most people's most horrible nightmares. He let out a silent sigh and fingered his pack, returning his attention to the man in front of him.

"My job as head of security is to keep you alive." Quaritch halted. "I will not succeed. Not with all of you. To survive, you must have a strong mental aptitude. You got to obey the rules. Pandora rules."

When the briefing was finished, Jake rolled towards the science lab, where he'd been ordered to go for another debriefing on the specifics of the Avatar program. He didn't get too far before he heard a voice calling his name.

"Jake! Hey, Jake!"

Jake halted and glanced behind him to see a tall, gangly, rather odd-looking man rushing up to him with a smile on his face.

"Hey, you're Jake - Tom's brother, right?"

Jake nodded. "Yep."

"Norm, Norm Spellman." Norm enthusiastically shook Jake's hand and hurried to keep up with Jake's swiftly rolling wheels. "Wow, you look just like your brother."

"Twins," Jake said shortly.

"Right, right." Norm followed him into the lab. "Welcome to the Avatar program."

Jake wheeled himself through the various consoles and desks and stopped when he was introduced to another scientist. But something in the back caught his eye. He rolled towards a blue light and saw several long, huge tubes filled with water... and something else. His mouth fell open in astonishment when he saw his Avatar for the first time.

It was at least nine feet long, looked asleep, and had perfectly working legs. Jake swallowed. In a matter of hours, he'd be walking again.

"Jake!" Norm waved for him to come over to where he was. Jake wheeled himself over and found Norm talking with a middle-aged woman. She was tall and looked worn out and annoyed. She was smoking, which was against base rules, but clearly, she didn't care. Norm glanced at Jake and said: "Dr. Augustine, this is Jake Sully. Jake, this is Dr. Grace Augustine."

Jake held out a hand. "Nice to meet you, ma'am."

Grace's irritated eyes swept over him briefly. She didn't shake his hand, just inhaled her cigarette again. Then, she scowled. "Where's Tom?"

Jake stiffened. "Dead."

"Great. Now what am I going to do?" She didn't sound sympathetic, just annoyed.

Jake glared up at her. "Sorry to inconvenience you with his death. But I'm here to take his place." He was beginning to regret this, but he had to stay focused. He had to get his legs back, one way or another.

Grace threw up her hands with a short sigh. "Lovely." She turned to Norm. "I wanted a _scientist_, not some Jarhead idiot! He won't even know what the hell he's doing!" She shot Jake another dirty look. "Do you even know anything about the Na'vi or the Avatar program?"

"Some. I read the manual."

"You're kidding, right?"

Jake shrugged and gave her a stony look. He wasn't about to be intimidated by this witch. Not after all this. "With all due respect, ma'am," he said, attempting to control his temper, "if it's as bad out there as Quaritch says it is, you're gonna need a hell of a lot more than scientists. I'm a marine. I've been trained to fight. If there are things out there, you're gonna need protection."

Grace's lips pressed together tightly. "Quartich is an idiot." She stormed past him and entered another room through an adjoining doorway. Jake followed after her and came into a central complex with holographic consoles and control panels. Quaritch was standing across from another man, staring at a holographic map of the forest. The other man was dressed in a business shirt and slacks. He also looked annoyed.

"Parker!" Augustine snapped, striding up to him. She placed her hands on her hips. "How many times do I have to tell you to quit messing around with _my _program?"

Parker didn't look fazed. He just shrugged. "What else could I do? The guy was a perfect replacement for his brother. You get his body, I save money - I fail to see how this is a problem."

"I needed a _trained scientist, _not a _damn soldier_ who's looking to shoot everything in sight!"

Parker turned to her and glanced at Jake. "He'll be fine. He's staying, and that's final."

Jake didn't like being talked about as if he wasn't there. But he glanced at Quaritch and found the older, rough man eying him with a strange look on his face. Jake wasn't sure he liked it - it looked pensive, almost sly. As if Quaritch were scheming up something for him. He looked away and back to Augustine.

"Geez, she's really pissed," Norm whispered. Jake hadn't even realized the other man had followed him.

"She always like this?" Jake muttered.

"Pretty much."

"Lovely." Jake's fingers flexed on his wheels. It was like watching a duel between Augustine and Parker. She parried, he blocked, and she retaliated only to be hit down by Parker again. Finally, Parker dealt the final blow, but Augustine didn't die - just retreated grudgingly with the promise to return.

"If he causes one ounce of trouble," she growled, "then I'm pulling him out. I don't care how much money it cost. I'd rather have one short than one who's going to screw everything up."

Parker sighed and leaned against the console. "Just deal with it, all right?"

Augustine shot him a deadly look and brushed angrily past Jake as she stormed back into the lab.

Jake glanced after her. But when he looked back at Parker, he found Quaritch staring at him again. He frowned and wheeled out of the room, with Norm chattering at his side.

"You're gonna love being in your Avatar body," the scientist gushed. "It's just... gonna be mind blowing."

"You ever done it before?"

Norm reddened. "Ah, not yet. But Dr. Augustine has said that I have the most experience and training, so I'm going to be her right-hand man." He seemed very proud of the fact. "I can't wait to work with the natives. There's this one girl - she's absolutely gorgeous." He grinned. "Tall, huge eyes, sweet body..."

Jake raised an eyebrow. "If you've never been an Avatar, how do you know her?"

"Well," stammered Norm, even more flustered, "I've seen her in Grace's photo albums and vids. I can't wait to meet her."

_Oh, please. _Jake wasn't impressed. _She's a savage. Probably doesn't even speak English. _"From what I've heard, she'd probably kill you as soon as look at you."

Norm frowned at him, as if Jake were bursting his bubble. "Hey, I've been training to communicate with the Na'vi for _five years._ You _just _got here. You don't know what you're talking about. So maybe you shouldn't listen to everything you hear. Besides," he turned away. "What do you care? You're not gonna be talking with them. You're gonna be the one holding the gun and making everyone nervous." Digging his hands into his pockets, he shuffled away.

Jake honestly didn't see what Norm's problem was. It wasn't like he'd really had a choice except to come to Pandora. The marine side of him urged him to go after Norm and set him straight. But he knew Norm wouldn't change his mind. Not that it mattered one way or another. The dreamy-eyed scientist would learn soon enough how dangerous it was out there in the real world. That is, if it was as bad as Quaritch said it was. For himself, Jake wasn't afraid. But he was experienced, a marine. Norm was a harmless scientist. It'd be interesting to see how this mission played out.

* * *

As he rolled towards his quarters, someone called his name. He sighed heavily and turned around to see Quaritch standing several feet back. Quaritch called for Jake to follow him. He didn't wait for a response, but Jake didn't expect him to. Shaking his head, Jake wheeled around and followed the Colonel back down the hall until they came to the central ops room.

Quaritch halted when he came to the holographic console and leaned against it. "You're a Marine, Sully. I've read up on you. Served two tours in Venezuela. That was a rough spot."

"Yes, sir." Jake remembered it well. Mostly because it was right after his parents had died. He swallowed back that bad taste in his mouth and tried to focus on what the Colonel was saying.

"You have an exemplary record," continued Quaritch. "And although the good Doctor is only going to be using you as a bodyguard, I got something else in mind for you, if you're up for it."

"Sure." Jake certainly wasn't afraid for a specialized mission.

Quaritch gave him a small grin and tapped on the console. Almost instantly, a holographic image blinked to life.

Jake looked at the hologram in the center of the console and found himself momentarily taken aback by what he saw. It wasn't a location or an animal - it was a person. One of the aliens. It was a woman, a beautiful young woman. She was smiling and standing beside Grace's avatar, leaning against the porch railing of Grace's schoolhouse. Her sharp teeth gleamed white in the sun, and her skin was colored shades of cobalt, ultramarine, and deep turquoise.

"You see this girl?" Quaritch enhanced the picture, focusing it on the alien woman.

Jake nodded slowly.

"Well, it's real simple," Quaritch said, leaning back against the console. "We've tried the good Doctor's way of diplomacy..." He all but sneered out that statement. "And now we're gonna try mine."

"Sir?" Jake titled his head, puzzled.

"This girl," Quaritch continued, pointing to the Na'vi woman, "just so happens to be the _only _daughter of the Na'vi leader. Their king, you might say. Daddy's little girl." He smirked and folded his arms over his chest. "She's our best shot of getting what we need. I want you to infiltrate the Na'vi's camp. Gain their trust - gain _her _trust." He nodded to the girl. "And when you do... you're gonna take her and bring her back here to me."

* * *

**TBC...**

* * *

_So, yes, it's going to be different from the original movie. Some elements will be similar, but it will get increasingly different as we delve further into the story. You'll see what I mean as we go along.  
_

_Let me know what you think! :)  
_

_- Serena  
_


	2. Dreams

_**Spirit Never Free  
**_

By** Serena**

**A/N:**_ Thank you all so much for your comments. :) I'm so thrilled you like it so far. I wasn't sure how many would go for the AU, but your enthusiasm has encouraged me to continue._

_QUICK announcement: The sci-fi/fantasy novel I've been working on for several months has been edited (by me and two other people) and completed. I'm at the moment writing up queries to send to agents, so wish me luck! :)  
_

_NOW, there are a few things I'd like to say: I don't feel that they delved deeply enough into Jake's frustration with his being paralyzed. I know they were short on time to do that, and they did show it in several spots, but I'm going to expand on that. Also I'm going to expand the relationship between Jake and Tom, and how upset Jake was to lose his brother.  
_

_This story is going to be darker than the movie, I think. But essentially, it's the same: Jake goes on a journey and starts a new life. Here, his journey is going to be more of an internal struggle to find something worth fighting for and to deal with his pain.  
_

_I'm dedicating this story to my superb beta **Mira-Jade. :) **This has now been edited by her. Thank you, dear! You're the best. :)  
_

**Disc: **_If I owned Avatar, I'd be watching it now._

* * *

_FIVE YEARS, FIVE MONTHS AGO

* * *

_

"Jake, I'm telling you - it's incredible. Dr. Augustine - she's the one running the thing - has sent me so many vids and pictures of the most amazing flora and fauna," Tom gushed over the intercom.

Jake rubbed his eyes with a hand and shook his head, staring at the intercom. "Tom, you know I've never been into all that science stuff. That's up your alley."

"But it's not just science - it's a whole other planet, Jake!" Tom protested. His voice sounded a little scratchy, but it could've been just the com signal. "It's dangerous, I've heard, but it's absolutely spectacular. It's like nothing you've ever seen or even dreamed of."

"Uh-huh." Jake's eyes darkened, and he instinctively clenched his hand. Any mention of dreams set him off in a bad mood. None of his dreams were good, and they hadn't been for years. The only things he ever dreamed about were the battles he'd been in. He had relieved his worst nightmare too many times to count, almost to the point where sleep was more tiring than remaining awake. The worst thing about this nightmare was that it was real - it had really happened. In its wake, he could not even count the times he had woken up, gasping for breathing as he realized his legs didn't work anymore.

"I'm shipping out pretty soon - around six months. It'll take almost six years to get there in cryostasis."

Six years asleep? "Sounds great," Jake replied dryly. "How long you gonna be out there?"

"Oh, I don't know yet. Two, maybe three year mission. It depends, though."

"On what?" Although he hadn't seen his brother in a while, Jake still didn't care for the thought of his twin brother, not to mention only remaining relative, leaving - especially going off the planet. An uncomfortable flutter darted through his stomach, tightening it slightly.

"On the natives of the planet. That's the point of the Avatar program," Tom said. "We're training to communicate with the native species on Pandora - the Na'vi. Dr. Augustine set up a school when she first got there, but she's told me that the relations have gotten pretty bad, almost to the point where the Na'vi don't even want to talk to us anymore."

"So, let me get this straight," Jake said. "You're gonna go to a planet millions of miles away to deal with a bunch of blue aliens that don't even want to talk to you."

"Yep, pretty much," Tom replied with a short laugh. "But it's a lot more than that."

"I'm sure," Jake said, a small smile on his face. He paused. "You be careful out there, all right?"

"_You're _telling _me _to be careful?" Tom demanded, a note of dark amusement in his voice. "That's got to be the most ironic thing I've ever heard."

Jake snorted. "All right, fine. But if you get your ass kicked by those blue aliens, don't come crying to me."

"Deal," Tom said, chuckling again. He paused, and more seriously added: "Jake, I know I'm talking to a wall when I'm saying this, but just... don't do anything reckless when I'm gone, okay?"

Jake felt a familiar, bitter smile adorn his lips. "Not much the U.S. can do with a half-working marine."

"Jake..." Tom sighed. "Your life isn't over. You should count yourself lucky."

"Right," Jake muttered. He'd seen more than his share of teammates bleeding and dying. But when he'd first learned that he'd never walk again, a darker part of him almost wanted to join his friends. That thought alone made his chest sting. He didn't know what he would've done without Tom. "Listen, Tom, you'll do great."

"Thanks. Hey, I'm shipping out pretty soon, but I'd like to stop by before I leave. It'll be a while before I see you again."

Neither he nor Jake wanted to point out that it might be the last time they ever saw each other. But they both knew what it meant. Anything could happen. After all, it was an entirely different planet with a species of vicious aliens.

Despite the fact that Jake hadn't really kept up good communication with his twin brother, he didn't like the thought of Tom being so far away for so long. Jake would be the only one left after Tom shipped out. Jake felt an uncomfortable twist in his stomach and said: "Yeah, that'd be great."

"All right, then." Tom sounded both relieved and pleased at Jake's acceptance. "I'll see what I can do. I'll call you before I come down."

"Sounds good." After Tom hung up, Jake rubbed his eyes and checked the clock. 12:23. He had a part-time job in the morning, since Vet's benefits were crap. Figuring he'd at least try to get an hour or two of sleep in before work, he rolled over to his bed, heaved himself in, and stared up at the ceiling. Eventually, he succumbed to exhaustion, but his nightmares returned as always, and he woke up gasping to the screams and gunfire of the battles he'd been in.

When he fell back into another fit of restless sleep, it wasn't long before he was submersed in nightmares once more. It was always the same. He was rushing up into the building, gun blazing directly ahead. He roared orders to his troops as he continued shooting. He got the distinct feeling that something was off, but he couldn't place it. By the time he turned to run with his troops, it was too late.

Jake's eyes flew open. Impulsively, he bolted upright and tore the covers off his legs. He let out a ragged breath as he stared down at his immobile lower half.

It wasn't a nightmare. It was real.

The first peaceful dreams Jake experienced were those he had in cryo. In these he was always alive. And he was always flying.

_

* * *

_

_He could see the lush jungle below, and the incredible blue sky above. The warm wind rushed by him, and his heart pounded with adrenaline. In the distance, he heard a shrill cry, unlike anything he'd ever heard. But oddly enough, it was so familiar, so second nature. Everything was so clear... so real. More real than anything he'd ever felt. _

_He glanced to his side and saw someone flying beside him. But unlike everything else, he couldn't see who it was. He narrowed his eyes, straining to see. But he couldn't. The figure was blurry. _

_Who was it? _

Jake's eyes fluttered open, and he blinked several times, adjusting to the dim light of his nightstand clock. For a moment, he thought he was still in cryo, but then he remembered. The cool grey ceiling stared back at him. He'd made it to Pandora. With a sigh, he pushed himself upright with his arms and leaned forward, taking in deep breaths. That dream, like the ones he'd had in cryo, felt so real.

He shook his head and snorted. It wasn't real. It was just a dream. And you always had to wake up. Every time he looked down at his legs, he was reminded of that.

* * *

After a quick shower, he grabbed a protein bar from the mess hall and wheeled himself into the bio lab. He looked around and saw Norm and Grace talking with one of the scientists - Max, his name was. Jake had met him briefly yesterday. He was a nice guy - a heck of a lot nicer than Grace, for certain. When Max saw him, he smiled and nodded. Jake nodded in return with a small smile and rolled up to the group.

"Hey, you made it," Norm said cheerfully. "Good. We're almost ready to go."

Jake nodded again and shot a look to Grace. She looked a little less tired and cranky than yesterday, but she still eyed him as though he were the stupidest person alive. He'd dealt with a lot of people with superiority complexes, but Tom had never treated Jake as though he were dumb. And the fact that Grace clearly wasn't respecting Tom's death increased Jake's dislike of her.

Grace started around the room and pointed to one of several pods in the lab. "This'll be your pod, Norm," she said, patting it.

"All right!" Norm grinned and eagerly hopped inside.

Moving forward, Grace moved to the next pod in line. "Sully, this is yours." She stepped up beside the pod and started tapping on the control screen. Jake figured since Norm had already entered his pod, he might as well, too. The pod was filled with squishy, plastic filling that would cushion him. Poking it, he grinned despite himself. Tom would've loved this.

"This is cool."

Grace glanced over her shoulder and raised an eyebrow. "What are you, five?"

Jake brushed off her remark and shrugged. "At heart, maybe." He threw her a disarming grin, but she just rolled her eyes and turned back to the screen.

"So, how many hours have you logged?" she asked him.

"Zip."

She whirled around. "Tell me you're joking."

"I would, but I think you're pissed off enough as it is." The corners of his mouth twitching into a lopsided grin, he grabbed the front of the pod for stability, steeled himself, and pulled himself up and into the pod. He heard Norm chirping: "Let's go!" and then he heard the sound of the pods revving up online. Glancing down, he started to pull his legs in, when Grace moved to help him. Feeling a flash of irritation, he put out a hand and said shortly: "No, I got this."

She threw up her hands in defeat and returned to her work. He pulled one leg in first, then the other, letting out a small, angry sigh. He didn't need anyone's help - especially hers.

"So you just figured you'd come out here to the most hostile environment known to man with no training of any kind to just... what, see how it went?"

Jake grinned broadly. "Maybe I was tired of doctors telling me what I couldn't do," he challenged, gazing back at her.

She glanced back at him with a surprised expression. Good. He was showing her he wouldn't be bossed around - not by her or anybody else. He didn't even answer to her anymore - Quaritch had made sure of that.

"All right," Grace said, as Max and the other lab techs started up the brain interfaces. "Keep your hands in, head down." She pushed Jake's head back into the pod support and placed the wire brace over his body. "Now, relax and let your mind go blank. Shouldn't be hard for you." She shot him a dry smile.

Jake didn't feel like picking a fight with her right now, as his whole mind was about to be transferred to another alien body, so he just grinned back. Then, she closed the pod completely, leaving him with very dim light. It reminded him of being in cryo, only this space was even smaller. He looked around, listening to the constant hum of the pod. But then, the sound grew louder, and he put his head back where it belong and let out a deep sigh, closing his eyes.

_Tom, wherever you are, this is for you. _

The last thing he knew, he felt a wave of dizziness come over him. Then, everything went black.

The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes were his hands. And they were blue.

_

* * *

_

**TBC...**

* * *

_All right, I decided I'm going to have some more flashbacks throughout the story of Jake and Tom to show their relationship better. After all, we don't know that much about Jake's life before Pandora, or how he felt about his brother. _

_Grace is a little meaner here than in the movie, but she's that way for a reason. :) Trust me.  
_

_Let me know what you think! :)  
_

_- Serena  
_


End file.
